Into Eternity
by BlueBird Blues
Summary: After the events of Heroes & Thieves, Ellie chose to leave Earth behind and start a new life with Loki. However, it is not long before the consequences of Loki's botched invasion catch up to them. Follows the events of Thor: The Dark World.


Here we are! I can't believe this has turned into a trilogy, but I'm in love with writing it. This story will eventually follow the events of Thor: The Dark World. Again, I just want to say, I'm committed to following the MCU cannon as closely as possible. That being said, this story will be making one huge change to a Marvel Canon character, something I feel alright with considering the character has yet to enter the MCU.

This story will wrap up some burning questions left unanswered in Heroes and Thieves, including the mystery woman Loki made a deal with in order to get back to earth (& don't believe for a second that there won't be consequences connected to Loki killing The Other). It will also feature cameos from some other MCU characters outside the Thor movies. I'm so excited to end with this story, I feel like I've been building up to this for a long time (3 years practically!). I hope it's as much of a blast as I've dreamed it would be. Thank you so much for reading!

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**Into Eternity**

Chapter One

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_**I am far and away from everything I know. The life I led is gone. Not miles away. Not even worlds way. But realms! The things I have seen are beyond any dreams. But these worlds were not meant for mortals. As fascinated as I am by the things I discover, I am afraid as well. All I know for certain is...**_

_**I am more myself here than I ever was on earth.**_

* * *

_Dammit. _Ellie cursed, pressing her back into the wall. _It's so dark in there._

From her position at the doorway of another room she did not know, the place she sought shelter in looked more like a lightless pit. She could hear no signs of life inside, but the silence only scared her all the more.

Her eyes rolled back into her head as a million little flecks on memory began to join together again. These were not good memories, but horrors that haunted her nightmares. Fears that clamored around the edge of her sanity like tiny, ravenous insects. She needed to banish them, before their picture became recognizable.

Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply and turned her attentions to the memories that had helped her through her darkest times. She was fortunate, that those memories were as vivid in her mind as the others.

Her reverie was cut short, however, at the familiar sound of heavy footsteps echoing through the hallway.

She looked down to her right hand. Wrapped around her index finger was a gift from Loki. A ring. A black stone, encased in thick, rounded gold. She raised her hand to her mouth and whispered an ancient word, a simple spell that would ignite the enchantment Loki had placed on the small token.

_Lysn. _

At the sound of her voice, the stone began to emit a sharp glow. At full power, it bore a beam of light stronger than any flashlight or piddly phone light. As Ellie watched it, she felt her heart return to a slower and steady beat. Of all the trinkets Loki had given her, the ring was her favorite and the one she relied on the most. When used, the enchantment would never go out unless she willed it to. Loki had given it to her, knowing that she still harbored a fear for places light could not penetrate. With it, he told her, she would never be lost in the darkness.

Stretching her arm out, she peered into the room once more, letting the light reveal it's insides. The space was much larger than she had first estimated and her light only stretched so far. The floors were covered with dust and debris. She could make out an intricately tiled floor, depicting what she guess was a map of the starry night sky.

A tinkling sound from the hallway behind her jolted her insides. She peered back down the hallway in the direction she had come from. A violent chill wracked her spine, she could see shadows painting the wall. Her pursuer was catching up to her.

_Or is it pursuer**s**?_ She thought, her heart leaping into her throat. _Can't be sure..._

Her only option, she had come to learn, was to look ahead. And hope for the best.

Ellie never regretted her decision to leave earth. Her travels with Loki had been one astounding adventure after another. But while Loki was convinced Asgard was still oblivious to his escape, there were others that sought the god of mischief. In his time alone, wandering the galaxies he had amassed a rather large following of enemies, and very few allies.

Since leaving earth, Loki had equipped her with weapons and had been teaching her how to properly defend herself, should they be separated. She was amused and surprised at how much fun she was having. Some days she felt like Bonnie, traipsing the starscape with Clyde.

_Shit, Ellie, just go. _She slipped into the room fighting away the fear that clouded her head and hoped to hell she had not been seen. She pressed her back against the wall just inside the doorway and listened. The footsteps grew louder and louder until…

_What the-?_

...Until the sound disappeared altogether.

Ellie waited for what seemed like an hour, her breathing short and silent. After some time, she designated herself safe and allowed herself to relax.

Using her ring as a guide, she moved deeper into the room. The air smelt stale and with each step she sent more dust floating into the air. Millions of little flecks caught the light of her ring and reminded her of snowfall. Lifting her hand as high as she could, she surveyed the ceiling. It wasn't in fact a ceiling, but a glass dome. Some of the panes were splintered and cracked. To Ellie, the room resembled a ballroom worthy of Versailles.

It was a fatal mistake on her part, letting her attention get away from her. As she stood, mouth agape, ogling the size and aging splendor, she felt a whisper thin breath of air tease her bare neck.

"_Did you really think you could run?" _

Ellie gasped as two hands grabbed her waist and spun her around. She acted quickly, bringing her right hand up in the air.

In it, she held another one of Loki's gifts. A dagger of black, silver and gold. It was small in size, but it's blade was sharp enough to cut through bone. And, if the proper trigger was pressed, a poison would be released, seeping through the metal and killing it's victim in a matter of heavily painful minutes. She had three more of the weapons hidden on her person, ready to join it's sister if needed.

She brought her arm down, but a hand wrapped around her wrist, stilling her hand. She didn't hesitate, however. Instead she expanded her fingers, letting the dagger fall. It was a risky move, but she was out of options. Miraculously, she managed to catch the hilt in her other hand. She twisted her body, her captured arm now positioned back and over her shoulder. It was an awkward position, but she spun back around using the increased force to her advantage.

Her aim was true, but the dagger did not hit home. For the shadowy figure had disappeared again.

As she searched through the darkness, trying to feel for any sign of movement, a body plowed into hers. She was knocked back and into the wall. All breath left her and by the time she caught it again, she was effectively pinned to the wall.

"Got you."

Before Ellie could protest, she felt icy lips pressing urgently against her own. Her hunter was none other than Loki and he had tracked her down with nearly an hour left in their game.

_Dammit. _Ellie thought, entirely too distracted to enjoy the kiss. _He won again. _

She could feel him smirk against her lips and she managed to push him away.

"Cheater!" Ellie gasped, stamping her foot against the floor like an indignant child. "You said no vanishing. I would've had you!"

Only half his face was visible in the thin light of her ring, but she could feel his eyes trained keenly on her.

"I believe you said no vanishing, darling." He said amicably. "But I don't remember agreeing to that addendum."

Ellie opened her mouth to protest, but her memory wouldn't allow her to. He was right. _How could I have been so careless!?_

"But enough of your moaning." He said, slipping his arm around her waist and guiding her into the hallway again. "I won again. Which means I have rewards to reap."

* * *

For some time, Ellie and Loki frequented a nameless, abandoned world that floated far off in the realm of Midgard. It was a rune of a planet, it's splendor and populations long lost to time. Not even Loki knew what sort of people inhabited the palace billions of years ago. He himself had only discovered it by happenstance. Whenever Ellie needed to rest up, they would return as one of Loki's secret pathways always led them there.

The palace was large, spacious and close to decrepit. Piece by piece, Loki had been restoring it with tricks and illusions as Ellie explored the ancient rune which seemed to stretch for nearly five miles.

That and, there was always time for games.

* * *

In truth, Ellie lived for these games. There was something inescapably sexy about relinquishing all control to him. She had thought on why that was. In the end, she came to the conclusion it was trust. To give herself to him so completely meant that she trusted him completely. And he had never, not once since leaving earth, betrayed her trust.

As time had passed, the frequency of their play had changed them both. There were no more veils existing between them. No lies or hesitation. No prejudices. No shields.

The rules were simple, whoever won was granted total control. And Loki always won.

At the center of the palace above a grand entry all, lay the closest thing the pair had to a bedroom. The room was small compared to the ballroom, but it was larger than any apartment Ellie had ever rented, including the 5 bedroom one she had shared with 7 roommates in her college years.

A vast array of painted windows aligned both walls and when they entered flaming torches burst to life; their light catching the various colors and creating a dim, but welcoming glow.

"Well," Loki said, settling into his seat. He leaned back, a positively wicked smile lighting his face. Shadows and light from the torch that sat to his right played off his angled features. His arms rested on the arms of his chair and his legs were splayed as if to invite her closer. But Ellie knew better.

"Shall we begin?" He asked.

Ellie tossed her head impatiently and crossed her arms over her chest.

He lifted his right hand into the air and snapped his fingers. The black, leathery clothes she was wearing began to emit a soft golden glow, only to be replaced by a silky, opaque robe. The fabric was thin, causing goosebumps to sprout on her skin. Ellie resisted the urge to admire it without his permission. She had been pleasantly surprised by his overwhelmingly good taste.

"On your knees." He said, his voice stern.

She looked up at him, her biting down on her lip knowing it drove him mad. Slowly she slipped to the floor, never breaking eye contact.

"Come on, then." He said, patting his knee.

She slunk forward, mimicking to her best ability the movements of a predatory cat. She felt her heart leap at the wanting that sparked in his eye. He may have been the one in control, but Ellie was far from powerless here. She could coax desire from him as easily as he could from her.

"What is it you want," she purred. "My love?"

She rose up and placed her hands on his knees, slowly rolling them up until she reached his waist. She watched as he wet his lips, before gesturing upwards with his fingers. With practiced grace, she slipped up onto the chair and straddled his lap.

He placed his hands on her waist and held her tight. His lips landed on her collarbone, nipping at her skin as he moved up to her neck.

"I'm afraid I'm rather impatient tonight." He spoke, into her flesh. "That little hunt took longer than I expected."

"Good." Ellie sneered, tilting her head back to better accommodate his searching lips.

She could feel him smile against her neck, before biting down harder. Ellie squealed and tried to catch her breath.

Loki stood, hoisting her legs around his waist and carried her to the bed.

Quite unceremoniously, he released her and she fell in a mess of dark sheets. Ellie took it in stride however, tossing her hair from her face and affixing him with a come hither stare.

"Well," He said, placing his hands in his pockets. "Get on with it."

Ellie felt a warm flush cover her face and neck. She didn't any clarification. She hoisted herself up, balancing her upper body using only one arm. Without any hesitation, she spread her legs wide and slipped her finger into her folds. She was already wet. It didn't take much for him to turn her on.

As she slowly worked away, she could feel heat

"Are you close?" He finally asked, his voice even huskier than before.

Ellie breathed loudly. "Uh-huh"

"Stop."

It took every ounce of willpower she had to pull her fingers away. The sudden lack of pressure left her head reeling and body aching.

Loki stepped forward, his eyes never leaving hers. He knelt down and wrapped one hand around her ankle pulling her closer to the edge of the bed.

Ellie watched as he slid two fingers inside of her, so slowly that she growled in frustration.

"More than close, I'd say." Loki commented, before plunging even deeper.

Ellie bit down on her bottom lip, whimpering.

"**Not** until I say," Loki reminded her.

Ellie just nodded her head, too busy focusing her resolve to answer him. She had the urge to kick him in the face, for teasing her so.

He smiled. "Though I suppose you deserve a reward. I was impressed with your knife skills today, darling. you've come a long way in such a short time."

He pulled her ankle up and over his shoulder, the the curve of her knee rest on him.

Ellie tilted her head back. "Oh, god yes."

"Have I not told you," Loki said, licking his lips. "There is no need to refer to me so formally."

Her eyes rolled so far back into her head, she thought she may lose the ability to see. But any annoyance she felt was dashed when his tongue brushed against her labia.

This was when the real fun began.

* * *

"That was…" Ellie said, collapsing into the bed. It seemed there wasn't a word in her internal dictionary that could rightly describe it.

Her mind raced over the past minutes, as it always did. She never wanted to forget nights like these. She rolled onto her side, and wrapped her arm around Loki's chest, resting her head on his chest.

Loki laughed softly and she could feel the rumble in quaking in his chest.

"You were perfect." He said, his fingers snaking up the trail of her spine before reaching her shoulder and pulling her even closer.

They sat in silence as the heat that still thrummed through their veins began to cool.

"Ellie?"

"Mmm?" Ellie mumbled.

"There is something I have been hoping to ask you."

"Sure."

She could feel Loki tense.

"Are you happy? Here with me. Wherever we may be."

Ellie's brow furrowed, she yawned and wondered if she had truly fallen asleep. It wasn't like Loki to ask such selfless questions of her. In fact, Ellie didn't think him capable of a question like that.

"I am" Ellie answered, though it wasn't until after she had spoken the words that she truly did think on his question.

In her experience, such questions were more wasteful than helpful. Happiness was such a fickle thing. Looking back on what life she had lived, she could remember shreds of happiness occurring in stretches of time she now utterly abhorred. She remembered a time when she had been happy with her family and truly at home with her mother and father and sister. When those feelings of belonging vanished, she remembered being happily rebellious, thriving off her black sheep nature. But such thrills had only lasted so long. When loneliness sent her close to despair, she took to fleeing across the country. Roughing it on her own had served only as a fleeting thrill. The loneliness had returned soon enough. Then there had been Loki, or rather Erik and that too, had brought her warmth and comfort for several short months.

_So what about now?_ She thought._ Am I truly happy now?_

"I really am." She said aloud.

"I'm glad," Loki said. Ellie craned her neck to look at him then. Though his eyes sparkled, his voice betrayed something deeper. She tried momentarily to pinpoint what exactly that was, but exhaustion was beginning to set in. She yawned and nuzzled closer.

"Did you like the Banquet hall?" He asked, his voice thick from the impending draw of sleep.

"Is that what that was?" Ellie asked. "I think it would be better served as a ballroom."

"Ballroom?"

"You...know what a ballroom is, don't you?" Ellie asked.

"Afraid not." He said, his hand taking hers and tangling their fingers together.

"It's a place for dancing." Ellie explained. "Parties are held, music is played and people dance."

"Dancing?" Loki repeated. "You like dancing?"

"Sometimes," Ellie mused as her eyes finally slipped shut. "If you have the right partner."

* * *

Loki felt the need to sleep ebb away.

There was far too much weighing on his mind.

The staff had been lost. And there would be creatures searching for him seeking payment and vengeance. That, and he still had a debt to pay.

If was ever to be happy. He would need to act sooner rather than later.

The realization that Ellie had chosen him and whatever sort of life this was, comforted him. But they were not safe. And he didn't like the prospect of wandering and running. He still wanted his throne, a right the fates had given him at birth. The road ahead would be dangerous and Ellie was not prepared to be left to fend for herself. She would have to accompany him.

He knew what had to be done first.

It could mean his end. And hers.

But it was what needed to be done.

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I had an insane amount of fun writing this chapter. Shiver is being rewritten to better reflect the intimate, quiet tone I imagined. Heroes and Thieves was dark and chaotic and everything I wanted it to be. We've come to the last story now and this one...well, I was struggling with what I wanted from this last fic. I finally figured it out and I can't wait to share this story with you. My 1st chapters are always a bit shorter, but if you've read Shiver/Heroes & Theives, you know this.

Thank you for reading and please do review! :0)


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